FWC Surveys Record Number Of Green Sea Turtle Nests

Florida’s wildlife management agency is announcing a record number of green sea turtle nests this year. That's in spite of impacts from Hurricane Irma.

A nesting green sea turtle.

Credit Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission via flickr

Florida’s green sea turtles are continuing their recovery, after being removed from the endangered species list in 2016. 30 years ago, state scientists recorded only 464 green sea turtle nests.

This year, the number is closer to 39,000 says Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Michelle Kerr.

“[That] could be surprising for the normal person because of the intense storm season that we had. Hurricanes definitely did a number on our coasts. But sea turtles actually have a nesting strategy that accommodates natural storm events,” Kerr said.

The recent count is part of a preliminary beach survey. More comprehensive numbers will come in early 2018.

Florida’s coastlines and cavern systems are dotted with historic sites, from World War II era shipwrecks, to Spanish galleons, to remnants of thousand year old civilizations. But there aren’t enough archaeologists to keep up with the underwater preservation. Now the state is training amateur scuba divers to pick up some of the slack.

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